Musings on Travel, Fashion & Fun

Taiwan – Experiencing Minsu 民宿 in Cingjing 清境

Immerse in the fresh air and the scenic greenery of Cingjing 清境 at 2000 metres sea level – it’s heavenly!

One of the must-have experiences in Taiwan is staying in a minsu (民宿), also commonly known as homestay or bed-and-breakfast. These minsu often come in different themes and décor, and there’s one for you whether on a shoestring budget or nothing-but-the-best. Minsu owners are usually very friendly, make you feel at home and are very knowledgeable about the area. The owners often drive their guests to nearby attractions for free, or help to arrange trips around the vicinity for a nominal fee. Best of all, you get a sumptuous home-cooked meal at a home-away-from-home. Minsu is highly popular in Hualian and Yilan where it is close to nature – imagine gazing at the stars through your lodge and waking up to a picturesque scene of the hills! We chose to stay at a minsu at Cingjing (Nantou南投 district) which is about 3 hours away from Taipei.

Cingjing is one of the most scenic areas in Taiwan and the views up there is simply amazing – I felt like a fairy walking on heaven!

Ta da! We are at Qingjing Xiaozhu 清境小築, home up in the hills for 2 days. Cinjing is very popular for weekend trips from Taipei, just to get away from the hustle and bustle of urban living.

Cingjing’s view is wonderful! No matter the season, you can expect a nice 15 ⁰C. Do book a minsu which is higher up the hills for a good scenic view. Ours came with a beautiful terrace. I can imagine sipping tea and chatting leisurely about life here.

Even the flowers look especially alluring up in the mountains.

Meals are served in this cosy dining hall.

Simple home-cooked breakfast to start the day with

Checking out the view from our balcony – excited!

There are only 5 rooms at the minsu which can accommodate 2 to 4 guests. We took the bigger room and added a bed for 5 of us.

Here’s the friendly owner of the minsu

We saw many patches of vegetable plots around the vicinity (山菜), all looking so fresh and abundant! Someone quick pass me the salad bowl…

I was told this particular plant is called por4 por4 ji4 (树子), and it tasted SO GOOD when fried with mountain vegetables!

We saw cherry blossoms at the minsu too

Morning dew

A wefie to remember our trip together ☺ We enjoyed our stay at Cingjing, we will be back!

I’ll leave you with this amazing photo of Hehuan Mountains…tempting, tempting…you just have to see it for yourselves *wink*

Getting to Cingjing from Taipei
Take the HSR Train from Taipei Main Station to Taichung HSR station in about 50 minutes. Once at Taichung, take a taxi to Cingjing or go to the Tourist Information desk beside Exit 5 to purchase round-trip bus tickets to Cingjing via stopover in Puli. The bus journey takes about 2.5 hours. Stop at Cingjing Guest House bus stop (清境農場國民賓館).

thanks for stopping by my little blog :) Hmmm, as Cingjing is just one winding road up, I don’t really think any of the minsu are very far off the main road. Misty would be further up the mountain, but if my memory serves me correctly both minsu are just as accessible. Do check out the minsu websites for more details too.

Hi, thanks for your beautiful photos of CJ Xiao Zhu. Now im actually deciding between Xiao Zhu and Misty Villa. I know Misty Villa is known for its good location. But Xiao Zhu is really scenic and i wish to stay there. But is Xiao Zhu convenient as well? Is it near to the central area with 7-Eleven and Starbucks? How long is the walk there? :)

Hello Ben! Xiao Zhu is pretty convenient and as there is only 1 road up the mountains, most of the minsu will be situated along that road. Xiaozhu is nearer the top of the mountain, so not near the central area (I think you are referring to where the central bus station is). There is a convenience store further up the road from Xiaozhu (Taiwan’s highest located convenience store), about 15mins walk if I remember correctly. Hope this helps.

Ello, awesome blog!
Will be going to Cingjing in dec. Would like to know the best way to travel from xiaozhu minsu to the attractions such as green green grassland. Does the minsu owner provide any transport?

Ello! Glad you enjoyed the read :)
The minsu owner will usually be happy to drop you off at Green Green Grassland if he is free (he offered to drop us off in that morning). Otherwise, simply ask your minsu owner if he can provide that service (drop-off plus pick-up) for a nominal fee.

You can also opt for a day tour where you are driven around the different attractions in Cingjing. Public transport is a challenge in Cingjing if you don’t book ahead. One option for you is Ok Bus 清境觀光巴 http://www.cingjingbus.tw +886 4 9280 1399

Hello! There are stopovers along the way if you are taking the joint shuttle. There are direct trips if you are going from the airport, HSR or Sun Moon Lake centre. You can have a look here http://www.cingjingbus.tw/ratesaschedule.html or send 李經理 0952-218966 a WhatsApp message. Hope this helps!

hi! i’m planning my trip to cingjing and love the the xiao zhu minsu! just wanna check how’s the toilet like ? is there any wet and dry areas and do they provide the basic toiletries and towels etc? thanks in advance!

Hi Valerie, you can have a look at the toilets on their website room information. They do provide basic toiletries such as toothbrush, shampoo, towels and combs. Do email the owner if there is anything in particular that you are looking for, eg. extra towels/blankets/bedding. Happy holidays in advance!

Hi, may I know how you made payment for this? Since it stated that we need to make payment to a Taiwan account? I wanted to book, but have no idea how to go about doing that. Stated there that we could only book via phonecall too right?

Hi PJ, I emailed the minsu to make my booking, and I paid by cash upon arrival. Do contact the minsu directly to confirm your preferred mode of payment. Mr Liu was rather prompt in replying emails the last time I contacted him , but he is more proficient in Mandarin if you want quick response ;) Hope this helps!

Hi! I’m planning for my Taiwan trip this year. Real tempted to go Cingjing after reading at ur blog. :D
I would like to check with you how was the sunrise/sunset/starry view at Xiaozhu minsu as I am contemplating between Xiaozhi and Starry Minsu.

Hi Sihui, the view at Cingjing Xiaozhu was very good. We didn’t catch sunrise/sunset though as our itinerary was rather full. As it is at a highpoint, you should be able to get a good view (see the blog post for photos). If you want to see stars, you can try Florance Resort Villa. Sometimes they organise star-gazing nights, or you can book a tour on the Hehuanshan Sunrise tour bus to catch sunrise. You wake up at 4am but it’s worth it :)

Hi! I came across your blog while researching on cingjing minsu and I’m really impressed by the photos! Have sent in my enquiries to the minsu owner! I wanted to ask you, did you took a cab down to the minsu from the train station or the bus? Do you happen to know the rough cost price for both? Thank you! (=

we hired a driver for our trip, so he picked us up at the train station and drove us around the whole day. Mr Liu charged between 2000TWD for a point-to-point transfer to 4000TWD for a whole day (picked us up at 8AM till late). If you want to take the bus you can check out Cingjing Bus http://www.cingjingbus.tw/ratesaschedule.html Hope this helps!

Hi, I’m planning a 6D5N trip to Taipei with my 14 year old daughter this June – a mother-daughter bonding trip! Am super inspired by your interesting blog about staying at a minsu at Cingjing. I’m inclined to just stay one night as our trip is quite short but is it sufficient bearing in mind the traveling time from TP to CJ? Thanks in advance for your help!

I would say 3D2N in Cingjing taking into consideration the travel time. If you are really short for time, do stay at least 1 night, otherwise you will really be rushing like crazy. Hope you and your daughter have a wonderful time! :)

Hi, I had a driver so I didn’t need to walk at all. The guesthouse is just a few minutes off the main road. You can email the owner to confirm the distance from the bus stop if you are taking the bus, that would be the safest. Thanks.

Hi! Love your posts on Cing jing. I am travelling to Cing jing for a 2 days 1 night trip with my guy friends. May I know what activities to do, what to see and where should we visit in Cing Jing? it is our first trip to Cing Jing. Thanks!

Hi Wendy, this page may help you to plan your itinerary. Some of the usual places to visit are the Green Green Grassland, Small Swiss Garden, Carton King, Mist Plaza, Nina’s Chocolate and Lumama Restaurant. You can join a sunrise tour to Hehuanshan, or a little further to Monster Village. For me, the best part about Cingjing is simply chilling out at the minsu and enjoy the uber fresh air :)

Hi, I am planning a trip to Cingjing in Nov for 3 nights with 2 kids, ages 3 and 8. Tempted to stay at this minsu after reading your blog and seeing your pictures. Do you know if this minsu has any heater in the room or hot water for shower?

Hello! Hmmm, I am not sure about a heater (you can email the minsu to ask) but definitely hot water for shower. I never felt cold in the minsu as far as I remembered :) Taiwan minsu are pretty family-friendly :)

Hi, loved the way you wrote your blog and the pics you have taken! Thanks for giving such useful info. I just wanted to know if it would be possible to head further away to places such as Puli, Hehuanshan or Sitou, and to get the owner to drive me around (with a fee). Thanks!

Thanks so much for your kind words! :) Yes it is possible to head to Puli and Hehuanshan from Cingjing (I haven’t been to Sitou but if it’s near the other two places then yes likely possible). Do check with the owner on his availability, otherwise just hire a driver or take the Cingjing bus.

Hi Marie, am afraid there is no English website – you can have a look at their Agoda page.
Hmmm, I believe it is about 10-15minutes away from the main centre of Cingjing, best to check with the minsu directly? Hope this helps.

Hi. Thanks for your post. Do you know how this minsu is compared to Starry House Nantou? Also, when I tried booking through their website it didn’t show any rooms with 3 double beds but agoda.com does. Do you know if they have room for 5 people?
Thanks!

Hello Ruth, I am not sure about Starry House’s rates, best for you to check with the minsu direct. We had 5 pax in our room (we requested for an extra single bed). I think they have 2 rooms that can accommodate this size. Do check with the minsu owner :)